This invention relates to a device for preventing brake pads from being dislodged from a disc brake.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one example of prior art disc brakes.
This disc brake includes a torque receiving member 1 as a stationary member having a disc receiving cavity 2 formed therein and rails 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b provided at four locations on inner surfaces of the disc receiving cavity 2. A guide pin 5 (FIG. 2) is provided on one side of the torque receiving member 1, and a guide pin 6 is provided on the other side of the member 1.
A caliper 7 is provided slidably relative to the guide pins 5 and 6 and includes an actuator portion 7a and a reaction portion 7b. The actuator 7a includes a piston 8 (FIG. 1) having a piston seal 9 and a dust seal 10.
The disc brake further includes a brake pad 11 guided by the rails 3a and 3b and a brake pad 12 in opposition to the brake pad 11 and guided by the rails 4a and 4b. Pad springs 13 (FIGS. 2 and 3) made of a stainless steel are arranged between the rails 3a and 4a and the brake pads 11 and 12 and between the rails 3b and 4b and the brake pads 11 and 12, respectively, and resiliently held by the rails 3a and 4a and the rails 3b and 4b, respectively for the purpose of preventing rust and noise and improving wear-resistance of these members.
Retraction springs 14 are provided in compressed condition between the brake pads 11 and 12 on both sides of the caliper 7, respectively, so as to move the brake pads 11 and 12 away from discs (not shown) when the brake is released, thereby preventing sliding sound of the sliding members and premature wear of the brake pads due to relative sliding movements.
An interposing member 15 made of a relatively elastic material is interposed between the brake pads 11 and 12 for preventing the brake pads 11 and 12 from falling into the disc receiving cavity 2 during transportation of the disc brake.
In the disc brake above described, the interposing member 15 is interposed between a pair of the brake pads 11 and 12 in order to prevent the brake pads 11 and 12 from falling into the disc receiving cavity 2 during transportation of the disc brake for incorporating it in a vehicle.
With this arrangement, however, mounting and dismounting operation of the interposing member 15 is troublesome. Moreover, interposing members 15 mounted in respective disc brakes are likely to be dislodged from the disc brakes during transportation and the dislodged interposing members are difficult to be collected or recovered to cause an economical disadvantage.
Moreover, there is a following difficulty when the brake pads 11 and 12 and the piston seal 9 are exchanged with new ones. Such an exchanging operation is effected after the one guide pin 6 has been removed and the caliper 7 has been rotated through some angles about the other guide pin 5. Under this condition, forces of the retraction springs 14 acting upon the brake pads 11 and 12 are not supported by any members, so that the brake pads 11 and 12 are forced outwardly to be dislodged from the rails. In order to avoid this, brake pads must be supported by at least one hand of an operator who is carrying out the above exchanging operation. As a result, the exchanging operation is very troublesome and time-consuming operation.